White matter hyperintensity shape in relation to long‐term small vessel disease progression in community‐dwelling older adults

Alzheimer s & Dementia, vol. 19

Abstract

Abstract Background White matter hyperintensity (WMH) shape was recently introduced as a novel small vessel disease (SVD) marker that may provide a more detailed characterization of WMH than volume alone. We aimed to investigate the association between baseline WMH shape and cerebrovascular disease progression over 5 years in community‐dwelling individuals. Method Data from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility‐Reykjavik (AGES) study (n = 2297) was used in the current study. FLAIR and T1‐weighted brain MRI scans were acquired at baseline from 2002 to 2006 on a 1.5 Tesla Signa Twinspeed system (General Electric Medical Systems, Waukesha, Wisconsin). Five years later, follow‐up MRI scans were acquired from 2007 to 2011 with the same protocol. Baseline WMH shape was assessed using an in‐house developed pipeline (see figure 1). Result A more irregular shape of periventricular/confluent (solidity, convexity, concavity index, fractal dimension) and deep WMH (eccentricity, fractal dimension) at baseline were associated with increased progression of WMH volume over 5 years (see figure 2). A more irregular shape of periventricular/confluent WMH (solidity, convexity, concavity index, fractal dimension) was associated with new subcortical infarcts and new microbleeds at the 5 year follow‐up (see figure 3). Conclusion Our findings indicate that a more irregular WMH shape is associated with SVD progression and may aid prediction of disease progression.

Authors 7

1. Jasmin Annica Keller corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

2. Sigurdur Oli Sigurdsson

   Icelandic Heart Association

   Affiliation as printed

   Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur Iceland

   Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland

3. Mark A. van Buchem Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

4. Lenore J. Launer

   National Institute on Aging

   Affiliation as printed

   National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD USA

   National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA

5. Matthias J.P. van Osch Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

6. Vilmundur G. Gudnason

   Icelandic Heart Association

   Affiliation as printed

   Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur Iceland

   Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland

7. Jeroen H.J.M. de Bresser Aachen

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden Netherlands

   Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands